GURU HARKRISHAN JI

(1661-64)

Guru Harkrishan Ji was only five years of age when he was ordained as the 8^th Guru in succession. At a very young age Guru Har Rai Ji suddenly left for his heavenly abode. The Guru had two sons, Ram Rai was elder and the younger Harkrishan. Ram Rai had displeased his father on account of his manifesting miracles despite strict instructions not to do so as it was against the Sikh faith, the Guru ordained the Guruship to his younger son Harkrishan. This younger son was very sagacious and religious even in his tender years and commencing from his childhood, he never disobeyed any order of his father. With heart and soul he performed service to his father and habitually preoccupied himself with the thoughts of God. Fair complexioned and with sharp features, he was an exceptionally charming child. Even at a very tender age, he could quote great many hymns of the earlier Gurus with astounding appropriateness. Since Ram Rai had brazenly aligned himself with the foes of the Sikhs, Guru Har Rai decided the succession in favor of his younger son.

Exploiting his loyalty to the Delhi throne, Ram Rai complained to Aurangzeb that his father had discriminated against him. In order to weaken the Sikh community and creating quarrel for the succession, the King fanned his grievance. Guru Harkrishan had already been cautioned by his father never to see the foxy Aurangzeb and let Ram Rai deal with the King with whom he had aligned through flattery and sycophancy.

The Emperor took unduely interest in this affair and ordered a senior court official Raja Jai Singh to get Guru Harkrishan to see him in Delhi. Raja was a great devotee of the Sikh Gurus. He was in a great dilemma since he knew the true story of the succession and the advice given by Guru Har Rai to Guru Harkrishan never to visit the King. The Raja sent a word to the Guru at Kiratpur Sahib that his mere presence at Delhi would solve the purpose.

Seated in a palki and with a large assemblage of his followers, the Guru reached the house of Raja Jai Singh, who was an ardent devotee of the Guru. It so happened that at that time Delhi was inflamed with the epidemic of smallpox and people in large gatherings had been visiting him continuously. Guru Ji could not escape the attack of smallpox. And the attack came out so severely that he had not sufficient strength left in him and his condition grew extremely critical. As per Guru’s wish he was removed to a house on the shore of river Jamuna where he breathed his last in the year 1664. He was hardly eight years when he left for his heavenly abode. Later at the place of Guru’s Delhi residence, Gurdwara Bangla Shahib was built which is a sacred place for pilgrimage with the Sikhs.